Applications
MSOs should focus on basic packaging
GOA: Multi-system operators (MSOs) should concentrate on basic packaging and consumers will be ready to pay only if they get good packages, according to Hathway Cable & Datacom MD & CEO K Jayaraman.
The stakeholders were working only for short-to-medium term gains because of the approaching deadline whereas digitisation should
be looked at with a longer vision in mind, cautioned Jayaraman.
There were some things that needed to be sorted out like the share of the local cable operator (LCO), the security of the LCO, consumer pricing, and ascertaining whether many consumers will opt for a la carte or just take bouquets — either the basic service tier or the mix bouquet.
Jayaraman said MSOs can bundle the pricing for broadband and cable along with value-added services, giving them an edge over DTH service providers.
Speakers at Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2012 have sought the creation of a congenial ecosystem for successful implementation of digitisation.
Ankur Jain, Managing Director of JAINHITS, the head-end-in-the-sky venture of Noida Software Technology Park Limited (NSTPL), said what worked for the consumer was the end result of what he was getting, the cost of operations, and simplicity or complexities involved. Referring to LCOs, he said they would survive as they would either become small MSOs or customer service centres.
NDS Senior Director – Asia Pacific Business Development Ajmair Heer said MSOs and LCOs will have to create value-added services to compete with DTH, but the first hurdle was changing the mindset of the consumer.
SES Senior Vice President (Commercial, Asia Pacific and Middle East) Deeepak Mathur said additional capacity will help give customised content. But key infrastructure such as satellite capacity would be needed. He said SES was working to create a set top box (STB) that could help bring content on both tablets and television sets.
In a separate session on the life of a cable operator in the wake of DAS, ACT President P Kailasam and an MSO owner Shashikant, both from Bangalore, said they were already preparing for the second phase. Both are LCOs turned MSOs and therefore, they said they understood the needs of the consumer as well as the LCOs. It was clear that the LCO cannot be eliminated in the value chain.
They also claimed that they had acquired 35 to 40 per cent of the digital STBs needed by them.
Asked about the higher rates in view of the taxes, they said these taxes will have to be passed on to the consumer but the consumer will pay if more services are provided. Both agreed that cable would continue to have an edge over DTH.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
